HUMAN

DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
PHYSIOLOGY OF
THE DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
 DIGESTION
⦿Digestion is the breakdown of
large, complex organic molecules
into smaller components that can
be used by the body.
⦿Molecules need to be small enough
to diffuse across plasma
membranes.
 FUNCTIONS OF DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM

1.To breakdown foods into smaller

molecules.

2. To breakdown smaller molecules

of foods into tiny molecules that
can be absorbed by the cells .
 TWO TYPES OF DIGESTION
1.Mechanical digestion
Breaking down of foods
mechanically or physically

2. Chemical digestion
Uses enzymes to chemically break
down complex food substances into
their simplest form.
Steps of Digestion
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
Major Parts Accessory Parts
1. Mouth 1. Tongue
2. Esophagus 2. Salivary glands
3. Stomach 3. Liver
4. Small intestine 4. Pancreas
5. Large intestine 5. Gall bladder
6. Anus
Major Parts of
the Human
Digestive
system
 Digestion in the Mouth
▪ Mechanical digestion begins in
the mouth as the food is
chewed.
▪ Chemical digestion begins in
the mouth when food mixes
with saliva. Saliva contains an
enzyme (amylase) that begins
the breakdown of
carbohydrates.
▪ The resulting bolus is moved
into the esophagus by
swallowing. The extensive
chemical process of digestion
begins in the mouth.
Teeth
Tongue
 Digestion in the Esophagus
▪ Approximately 10” long
▪ Made up of smooth musles
▪ Also known as food pipe
▪ Consist of sphincters one at
each end
Functions include:
1.Secrete mucus
2.Moves food from the throat to
the stomach using muscle
movement called peristalsis
If acid from the stomach gets in
here that’s heartburn.
 DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
❖Enzymes that break down
macromolecules into their smaller building
blocks, in order to facilitate their
absorption by the body.
❖Found in the saliva secreted by the
salivary glands, in the secretions of cells
lining the stomach, in the pancreatic juice
secreted by pancreatic exocrine cells, and
in the secretions of cells lining the small
and large intestines.
Peristalsis
A series of wave-like muscle contractions that
moves food down to the stomach. The process of
peristalsis begins in the esophagus when a bolus of
food is swallowed.
 Digestion in the Stomach
Stomach
➢ J-shaped muscular bag
that stores the food you
eat, breaks it down into
tiny pieces.
➢ Mixes food with digestive
juices that contain
enzymes to break down
proteins and lipids.
Acid in the stomach kills
bacteria.
Food found in the stomach
is called chyme.
 SMALL INTESTINE
➢ 7 meters long
➢ Lining of intestine
walls has finger-like
projections called villi,
to increase surface
area.
The villi are covered in
microvilli which further
increases surface area for
absorption.
➢ Final digestion and
absorption take place
INSIDE THE SMALL INTESTINE
 SMALL INTESTINE
The majority of chemical
digestion occurs in the first
of three sections of the
small intestine known as the
duodenum.
This section also contains an
opening from the bile duct
and pancreatic duct through
which bile and pancreatic
enzymes enter the small
intestine
 PARTS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE

1.The duodenum is a short structure (about

20–25 cm long) continuous with the
stomach and shaped like a "C". It surrounds
the head of the pancreas. It receives gastric
chyme from the stomach, together with
digestive juices from the pancreas (digestive
enzymes) and the liver (bile).
 PARTS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE
2. The jejunum is the midsection of the small
intestine, connecting the duodenum to the
ileum. It is about 2.5 m long, and contains the
villi that increase its surface area. Products of
digestion (sugars, amino acids, and fatty
acids) are absorbed into the bloodstream
here.
3. The ileum: The final section of the small
intestine. It is about 3 m long, and contains
villi similar to the jejunum. It absorbs mainly
vitamin B12 and bile acids, as well as any
other remaining nutrients.
 Large intestine
▪ About 5 feet long
▪ Accepts what small
intestines don’t absorb
Rectum (short term storage
which holds feces before it
is expelled).
▪ Water is absorbed here
and the remaining waste
material is stored as feces
before being removed by
defecation
Sections of the colon are:

▪ The ascending colon including the

cecum and appendix
▪ The transverse colon including the
colic flexures and transverse
mesocolon
▪ The descending colon
▪ The sigmoid colon – the s-shaped
region of the large intestine
 ANUS
• The human anus is the external
opening of the rectum.Its closure is
controlled by sphincter muscles.
Feces are expelled from the body
through the anus during the act of
defecation, the primary function of
the anus.
Enzymes for Carbohydrates
1. Salivary and pancreatic amylase-break
down bonds between glucose molecules
2. Lactase - an enzyme that breaks down the
disaccharide lactose to its component parts,
glucose and galactose
3. Sucrase - an enzyme that breaks down the
disaccharide sucrose, commonly known as
table sugar, cane sugar, or beet sugar.

Fats
Lipase-split fat into three fatty acids and a
glycerol molecule.
Enzymes for Proteins
1.Pepsin secreted by the stomach
2.Trypsin and chymotrypsin secreted
by the pancreas
3.Peptidases-produced in small
intestine
➢ Break down food proteins into
polypeptides that are then broken
down by various exopeptidases and
dipeptidases into amino acids
 Accessory Organs

• Salivary gland
• Liver
• Gall bladder
• Pancreas

29
 Accessory Organs
Salivary Glands
1. Parotid glands - produce a
serous, watery secretion.

2. Submaxillary (mandibular)
glands - produce a mixed
serous and mucous secretion.

3. Sublingual glands - secrete a

saliva that is predominantly
mucous in character.
 Accessory Organs
Liver ● The liver is a large
accessory organ of the
digestive system that
is constantly
producing a fluid
known as bile.
● Bile is stored in the
gall bladder until it is
needed in the small
intestine.
 Accessory Organs
Liver and Gall Bladder
● The presence of lipids in
the small intestine trigger
the release of the hormone
cholecystokinin (CCK)
which triggers the release
of bile from the gall
bladder.
● Bile contains bile salts that
emulsifies fats which
means it breaks them into
smaller droplets so they
can be digested.
 Accessory Organs
Pancreas ● It releases chemicals to
aid in digestion.
● Secretin will stimulate
the pancreas to release a
solution containing
bicarbonate ion into the
small intestine where it
will neutralize the acidic
chyme and raise the pH
from 2.5 to 9.0. This
inactivates the pepsin.
Pancreas and Carbohydrates
● Amylase enzymes are
released from the
pancreas that break
large carbohydrate
chains into small chains
called disaccharides.
● Then the small intestine
releases disaccharide
enzymes which break
those small chains into
individual sugars.
THANK
YOU